Signs of Shirk (2)
There are different types of Shirk and there signs to recognize Shirk:
1- Trying to find faults with the law of God and His Wali. The Holy Quran says in Verse 77 of Surah An-Nisa:
“Have you not seen those who were told to stop fighting, to say their prayers, and pay the religious tax? When they were ordered to fight, some of them feared other men as much as or more than they feared God and so they said, ‘Lord, why have you ordered us to fight? If only you would give us a little time.’”
The Bani Isra’il would complain about food coming from heaven: “We will no longer be patient with one type of food. Call on your Lord to bring forth for us some of the produce of the earth, green herbs and cucumbers, corn, lentils and onions.” (Verse 61 of Surah Al-Baqarah)
Or when God cited an example, they complained about the example, saying, “What does God mean by such parables?” (Verse 26 of Surah Al-Baqarah)
2-Apeasing Taghut. Taghut is one who opposes God. Obeying Taghut is nothing but Shirk.
3- Considering others to be superior to God. The Quran says: “If your fathers, children, brothers, spouses, relatives, the property that you possess, the trade you fear may have no profit and the homely life are more beloved to you than God, His Messenger and fighting for His cause, wait until God fulfills His decree (of making the right distinct from the wrong). God does not guide the evil-doers.” (Verse 24 of Surah At-Tawbah)
Also, having illogically prejudices and biases is rooted in Shirk. Of course being steadfast on the path of the truth and defending it is different from ignorant prejudice.
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Moreover, it is Shirk when one attaches importance to what people say and think but not to what God says.
The Quran says in Verse 45 of Surah Az-Zumar: “When Allah is mentioned alone, the hearts of those who do not believe in the Everlasting Life shrink in aversion. But when those, other than Him, are mentioned, see, they are filled with glad tidings.”
It would be a sign of deviation for a people if they pin their hopes on the East and the West instead of paying attention to God’s laws.
And Shirk is an issue in which even obeying parents becomes forbidden.
In the Quran, there are five verses in which God orders people to respect and do good to their parents (Verse 83 of Surah Al-Baqarah, Verse 36 of Surah An-Nisa, Verse 151 of Surah Al-Ana’am, Verse 23 of Surah 23 of Surah Al-Isra, and Verse 15 of Surah Al-Ahqaf).
In four of them, respecting parents is emphasized along with the issue of monotheism and servitude to God. This is because one’s existence is first dependent on God and then to parents.
In many Hadiths, too, there are recommendations about respecting parents. Even looking at one’s parents is referred to in Hadiths as an act of worship.
However, when one’s parents try to lead their children astray from the path of God, obeying them is forbidden. This has been emphasized in two verses of the Quran:
Verse 8 of Surah Al-Ankabut: “We have charged the human to be kind to his parents. But if they bid you to associate with Me that which you have no knowledge, do not obey them.”
And Verse 15 of Surah Luqman: “If they (parents) try to force you to consider things equal to Me, which you cannot justify, equal to Me, do not obey them.”
So if your father and mother tried to lead you out of the path of monotheism, you should disobey them.
